Tadhg Furlong returns as Leo Cullen names Leinster team to face La Rochelle

Meanwhile Ronan O'Gara has also named his team with Will Skelton missing out having failed to overcome his injury.

BACK: Tadhg Furlong during a Leinster Rugby squad training session at UCD in Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Leo Cullen has named Tadhg Furlong in his Leinster side set to take on La Rochelle in Round 3 of the Investec Champions Cup at the Stade Marcel Deflandre on Sunday.

Furlong returns to win his 150th Leinster cap in what will be his first appearance since the win over Munster at Croke Park back in October, with Jamison Gibson-Park also set to hit the same milestone.

Furlong is joined by Cian Healy and Rónan Kelleher in the front row, with Joe McCarthy and James Ryan linking up in the second row once more while Caelan Doris captains the team from number eight with Josh van der Flier and Ryan Baird joining him in the back row.

Sam Prendergast partners Gibson-Park at out-half, while the familiar duo of Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw make up the centres.

Jamie Osborne has been given the nod at full-back as Tommy O'Brien and Jimmy O'Brien start on the wings, with Jordan Larmour missing out altogether.

Academy hooker Gus McCarthy has been named among the replacements alongside Andrew Porter and Rabah Slimani, while RG Snyman and Jack Conan complete the reinforcements for the pack.

Luke McGrath and Ross Byrne are the replacement half-backs and Jordie Barrett takes the number 23 shirt for the match.

Meanwhile Ronan O'Gara has also named his team with Will Skelton missing out having failed to overcome his ankle injury.

Kick-off on Sunday is at 4.15pm local time, 3.15pm Irish time and it will be shown live on Premier Sports 1.

Elsewhere Ulster and Connacht have named their teams to take on the Leicester Tigers and Lyon respectively, both games kicking off at 8pm on Saturday night.

Leinster: J Osborne, J Larmour, G Ringrose, R Henshaw, J O’Brien, S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; C Healy, R Kelleher, T Furlong, J McCarthy, J Ryan, R Baird, J van der Flier, C Doris.

Replacements: G McCarthy, A Porter, R Slimani, RG Snyman, J Conan, L McGrath, R Byrne, J Barrett.

La Rochell e: B Dulin; J Nowell, U Seuteni, J Favres, D Leyds ; A Hastoy, T Kerr-Barlow; R Wardi, Q Lespiaucq, U Atonio; T Lavault, K Douglas; P Boudehent, O Jegou, G Alldritt.

Replacements: N Sutidze, A Kaddouri, GH Colombe-Reazel, U Dillane, L Botia, J Cancoriet, M Haddad, H Bosmorin.

Ulster: E McIlroy, W Kok, B Carson, J Postlethwaite, Z Ward, A Morgan, N Doak; A Warwick, J Andrew, S Wilson, I Henderson, C Izuchukwu, J McNabney, N Timoney, D McCann.

Replacements: J McCormick, E O’Sullivan, C Barrett, K Treadwell, H Sheridan, J Cooney, J Murphy, R Telfer.

Connacht: S Cordero, C Mullins, P O’Conor, B Aki, S Jennings, J Ioane, B Murphy; P Dooley, D Heffernan, F Bealham, O Dowling, J Joyce, C Prendergast, S Hurley-Langton, S Jansen.

Replacements: D Tierney-Martin, J Duggan, J Aungier, J Murphy, P Boyle, C Blade, C Forde, D Hawkshaw.